Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-29
CITY AND DISTRICT.
lEFENSE OF THE TEMPERANCE
WOMEN.


To the Editor of The EVENING STAR
IL certainty required great courage in the TEN
perance ladies to attack so great power as thf
Commissioners OF this District, and courage Is
Fare quality. and altogether too much lacking IL
most communities. Where one person will fgh
Tor the night there are ten who will consult thef
own care and safety and let the wrong GO on
We do not see that the Commissioners attempt tc
defend themselves from the charge OF havine
licensed saloons near school buildings contrary Il
Laws. They acknowledge having granted license:
-under a misrepresentation" and that they ar.
DOW considering whether they have legal power
% revoke such licenses the law requiring con
sent OF a majority OF property owners IN the
vicinity 'nop having been complied With! Or
the whole IL must be acknowledged thai
the morality OF this city, so far as
saloons are concerned does not seem to be
In visllant keeping ~ the hands OF the Commits
aoners- Good citizens might possibly wish thai
Mrs. La Fetra and her associates had some of tile
power which our commissioners hold so largely
Before Louis Schade and Mr.. Hume get entirely out
OF patience with those who seek TO make things
better In Washington, let them listen to the word.
of a man whose daily occupation makes him
good judge OF the manners and laws OF this city
Justice Walter Once having some experience OF the
annoyance OF dead beats. / asked OF Judge Walter
'1Why the laws here were apparently so much fol
their protectiOn?~ and he answered, 'fhe citizens
OF this District sit down supinely under the most
infamous laws and care for them until trouble
comes into their own particular pockets Now, does
true patriotism require that we should say that
Washington Is as moral city as IL should be; or
should we its shortcomings In that respect. and
endeavor to remove them? There Is no doubt that
Washington is beautiful city, and null OF bright,
Intelligent people. IL is the capital OF great na
ton, and the nations money has been literally
spent Ii making 1t worthy of its place. From the
fact OF its being the city OF central governmental
power the intellect OF the nation largely drifts To-
ward it, But something more than this Is neces-
sary 70 make IL highly moral and altogether de-
Sirable as place To live in IL seems 10 me that
the press has duty 20 do In lifting the standard
OF
i will ask you IL there are not few things here
which might be made better?
Might not robbeTies De less frequent, and when
robbed might there not be some faint prospect OF
recovering ones lost property without giving de-
tectiveS one half its value?
Might not washington lurieS establish better
reputation for themselves and Washington courts
better sustain patriotic eerts for reform. like the
one made some years ago by the president OF the
Metropolitan Bank?
Might not the customs of mechanics I'm Wash
ington DC improved 50 that they should not de-
hberately vote to swiDde? and might charges OF s.
for knocking the SCOT from o latrobe pipe and TO
cents for ounce OF solder, not have the bylaws
of society 10 sustain such charges along with
many others equally dishonest, thus making H. as
a western lady says quite impossible TO know be-
fOrehand what the expense OF housekeeping Will
be In this city?
honesty OF household servants in Washington so
that fewer families should be driven into boarding
houses and living in rooms In order to protect
themselveSfrom bankruptcy?
think both MIR. Hume and MI. Schade must ac-
knowledge that there Is something that needs
remedy In our landlord and tenant laws. when
landlords find il necessary TO make ''cutthroat
laws TO save themselves from being cheated by
dead beats, and if they have had any experience Of
the lien law they Will acknowledg that any law
needs amending which invites plainly TO dis
honest combinations between dealers and con-
tractors
There are few other customs and laws In my
mind which a patriotic citizen might like TO see
changed in the capital OF this great nation. but
viii not attempt To state them now. Yet. before
leaving this subject let refer to two facts well
known 70 many, and let me ask il anyone in wash
1ngtOn wishes that this city should lag behind
New York in matters of justice and morality.
IL was, think, about year ago that q lady in
New York, Mrs Hamilton, was robbed Of her sill
Yer. When she took steps 70 recover il she was
promised the return OF it all II she would agree not
10 prosecute the thief. This she refused, and the
result OF her Efforts was TO make known the raS-
cality OF the Alderman Jaehne, and his punish
ment and the punishment OF others like him all
followed from the work she began Several years
ago Miss Ellis in this city was robbed, and She
was told that she could have her property returned
IL she would agree not TO prosecute the thief she
refused TO accept her valuables such terms, and
10 this day she has not reganed her own nor has
the thief been punished. Can WaShingtOnianSS say
there is nothing rotten In Denmark?
III. c. INGERSOII.